The present invention relates to fastening devices and particularly to such devices designed for use in attaching materials to other materials.
In the merchandising of articles, it is usually necessary to identify such articles by price, size, manufacturer, etc., by the application of an identifying label or tag to the merchandise. It is also sometimes necessary to secure articles of clothing to each other. It is desirable that the method of securing such identifying means and articles of clothing, particularly to garments, reliably secure the identifying tag, label or article of clothing to the article and at the same time leave the article free from damage after the fastening device is removed by the consumer. In addition, it is desirable that such devices be relatively inexpensive to manufacture.
To the best of present knowledge and belief, the pertinent prior art is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,103,666 which issued Sep. 17, 1963 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,686,717 which issued Aug. 29, 1972. The major drawback in these prior art references is the difficulty in which consumers have in removing the fastening devices from the articles of clothing.
The consumer currently has no easy or convenient method in which to remove the fastening devices existing in the market. The consumer either has to use a pair of scissors, a knife, clippers or their teeth to remove the fastening device. Another problem found in the prior art is that in removing the fastening device from the materials, the fastening device is likely to snag, tear, rip or otherwise damage the fastened materials.
Clearly, there is a need for a fastening device which allows for easy and convenient detachment from the fastened materials.